Restore WW2 Service Knife

[melinda]

Hello all, complete newbie here. Please forgive my forum clumsiness, and feel free to advise me if I have this in the wrong thread!

I have my dad's WW2 service knife. I know pretty much zero about knives, but I really want to restore this knife and the scabbard. (For the life of me, I can't figure out how to add a photo of it here!) From the vast knowledge on YouTube :-D I gather that the blade is the easy part, but the stacked leather handle might be harder to restore. In addition, the scabbard has writing on it (probably ball point pen or some other common ink from the 40's) that I want to preserve. The scabbard appears to be in reasonable condition although it is starting to darken, and the writing on it is becoming faded and difficult to read.

I am willing to learn some skills in order to do this, although I would also consider paying someone trustworthy to do it.

Can anyone suggest where I should start for this project?

Thanks very much!

Melinda from Texas

 

[eveled]

KA-BAR sells a kit to replace the leather washers. If that is necessary. It is not easy. I would not do it unless it is absolutely necessary.

Oil the blade for sure.

Leather is tricky, everyone has a different opinion. It probably needs some nurishment. Don’t over do it, it will get mushy.

Take pictures of the writing, it may not be possible to save. Possibly consider going over it with another pen? IDK.

We really need pictures.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Check this post for the how-to on posting pictures: Posting Pix to BF

It will be interesting to see what kind of knife you're dealing with. I have a couple of Kabar USN Mk 2s and a couple of Western G46 "shark" knives from WW2. They've never had anything done to them and are still in pretty good shape. The Westerns have a few rust spots, but they have blued blades so I'm leaving them alone so as not to disturb the original finish. You might think about whether you really want to "restore" your knife or just "preserve" it so that you keep the history of the knife intact. Of course, it's your knife and a decision only you can make. Looking forward to pictures and more information!

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Please post good pictures of your knife.
Cutlery restoration is what I do, and I'm sure I and the others here can give you solid advice in preserving your knife.